Gas treating apparatus and method



Dec. 18, 195 c. a. SCHNEIBLE ETAL 0 GAS TREATING APPARATUS AND METHOD Filed Marbh 17, 1948.

Patented Dec. 18, 1951 UNITED STATES GAS TREATING APPARATUS AND METHOD Claude B. Schneible, Detroit, and Alvin SQLundy,

Huntington Woods, Mich.;

signer to said Schneible said Lundy as- Application March 17, 1948, Serial No. 15,334 Claims. (Cl. 98-115) 7 This invention relates to gas-treating apparatus, and is particularly useful in the treatment of particle-laden gas, such as, for example, a column of gas rising from a grate and containing dust, smoke, fumes, etc., as well asgas having 5 heavier and lighter components. By the term gas, we mean not only incondensable gaseous material but condensable vapors, etc. o

In the treatment of a rising column of gas containing smoke, fumes, dust particles, heavier and 10 lighter fractions, etc., it has been the practice to discharge the entire material directly into the atmosphere, or to treat the entire column in separating apparatus. It was obviously undesirable to discharge such material into the atmosphere, and it was equally undesirable to provide the extensive equipment necessary to handle all of the rising column.

An object of the present invention is to provide a novel method and means for separating 2o therising column into two fractions, discharging the heavier column into the treating apparatus, and then discharging the lighter fraction, which is innocuous, directly into the atmosphere, while providing a downwardly and outwardly extending curtain of gaseous material to confine the rising column in a space below exhaust intakes.

It is a further object herein to provide means for recirculating some of the withdrawn gaseous material for forming said curtain about the intakes. A' still further object is to provide means for drawing some of the withdrawn air or gaseous material, after passing through cleaning operations, together with or without make-up air, into the conduit from which the gaseous material is discharged to form the gaseous curtain, and while thus retaining the heat of the separated lighter fraction, and while also saving power in the operation. Other specific objects and advantages will appear as the specification proceeds.

The invention is illustrated, in a single embodiment, by the accompanying drawing, in which there is shown, in side elevation, a diagrammatic arrangement of structure embodying our inven tion and with which our new method may be employed.

In the illustration given, Ill designates a floor upon which there rests a casting or mold II. It will be understood that the member H is merely illustrative of a large number of structures which give ofi fumes, smoke, dust, etc. The rising 001- umn of gaseous material from such object, or other source, is to be returned by the apparatus which will now be described.

The numeral l2 indicates an exhaust conduit, having an intake 13. The numeral Ht designates another exhaust conduit, having an intake i5 disposed above and forwardly of the intake 13. The two intakes are preferably enclosed within 'a perimetric frame It, and the frame is supported by means of standards 11 and I8 being secured together by a bottom rail I9.

The upper conduit 14 is provided with an exhaust fan 2G. The lower conduit l2 communicateswith a separating tower 2| of well-known construction. In such column, the gas is washed with water or other liquid, and the separated gas is drawn oii at the top of the tower under the suction of a fan. An example of such a column is shown in Schneible Patent No. 2,141,829. Since such structure is Well known, it is believed unnecessary to describe the same in detail herein. For the purpose of illustration, the column 2| is shown equipped, at its upper portion, with an outlet pipe 22, which leads to the intake of a fan 23. The fan exhausts through a dampercontrolled pipe 24.

In the illustration given, the discharge of the blower 23 communicates with a recycling conduit 25, provided with a control damper 2S and, in turn, conduit 25 merges with a fresh-air intake pipe 21, which is controlled by a damper 28. Pipe 29, formed by the merger of pipes 23 and 2?, leads downwardly to a discharge port 38, which preferably extends across the top edge of the perimetric frame I6. A discharge fan 3| is supported within the conduit 29 and serves to discharge a curtain of air through the port 39 outwardly and downwardly about the column of gaseous material rising from the object ll.

We also provide a recycling connecting pipe 32 between the exhaust conduit i4 and pipe 29, and a damper 33 is provided for regulating the amount of gaseous materialrecycled from the exhaust conduit 14.

While we show a single discharge port 3t for forming a curtain of air about one side of the object ll, it will be understood that the port 3i] may be multiple in number, or it may be extended in length to form a curtain extending about one or more sides of the rising column of gaseous material.

Operation In the operation of the apparatus, the fans .shown are'set into operation, so that the ris ing column of gaseous material from the object It is fractionated by the spaced intakes l3 and E5. The heavier particles or portions of the gaseous material will be drawn into the lower intake 13, which is nearer the object H, while the lighter gaseous material will pass into the intake 15. At the same time, the downwardlydischarged curtain of air from port 36 forms a blanket about the outer side of the column to prevent the escape of lighter fractions into the room or building. Such curtain, while being effective for confining the gaseous column about the intakes, does not prevent the operator from having free access to the object I I. For example, the object H may be turned, removed, and new objects brought into the same position, while the air curtain remains effective to prevent the escape of such-gaseous material.

For many purposes, it will be desirable to return a portion of the gaseous material, and particularly a portion thereof which is freed oi the .heavier particulate matter, such return bringing about a saving in heat, power, etc. For example, gases withdrawn through the conduit l4 may be drawn through the connecting pipe 32 into the curtain-forming conduit 29 and discharged through port 30. In this operation, if dampers 26 and 28 are closed, no make-up air will be introduced. If it is desired tojintroduce make-up air, damper 28 may be opened or partially opened, and the material discharged through the port 30 may be composed of desired proportions of such make-up air and exhaust gas from con duit M.

For certain purposes, it may be desirable to recycle gas which has been treated in tower 2| and to use the same in forming the curtain of gas discharged from port 30. In this operation, all of the dampers may be closed, except damper 26, to permit the recycling of such gas or, if desired, dampers 28 and 33 may be opened to allow a mixture of the recycled gas from the tower to be mixed with recycled gas from conduit M, or with make-up air, or with both.

While, in the illustration-given, we have shown a type of tower in which the gas is passed through vanes to form an annulus and against which a a cleansing liquid is passed, it will be understood that the tower 2| is illustrative of many types of towers employed for treating gases, and that in the invention herein contemplated, the gas withdrawn through pipe l2 may be treated by various means in tower 2|, and the treated gas may be withdrawn, as above described, through pipe 22 and again used in pipe 29.

While, in the foregoing specification, we have set forth a specific structure in great detail I for the purpose of illustrating one embodiment of the invention, it will be understood that such details of structure may be varied widely by those skilled in the art Without departing from the spirit of our invention.

We claim:

1. In apparatus for treating a rising column of gas, supporting means, a pair of pipes carried by said supporting means, a casing about the ends of said pipes and providing a pair of verticallyspaced inlets, said casing being supported along one side of said rising column and with the casing portion providing the uppermost of said inlets extending into said column, a second caspipe leading from the uppermost of said inlets.

3. In apparatus for treating a rising column of gas, supporting means, a pair of pipes carried by said supporting means, a casing about the ends of said pipes and providing a pair of verticallyspaced inletscommunicating with said pipes, said ing above the uppermost of said inlets providing a discharge opening directedalong a side of said column opposite said inlets, a pipe communicating with said discharge opening, means for discharging air through said pipe into said discharge opening to provide a curtain of air on the side of said column opposite said inlets, and a recycling conduit connecting said discharge pipe and the suction pipe leading from the uppermost of said inlets.

2. In apparatus for treating a rising column of gas, supporting means, a pairof pipes carried by said supporting means, a casing providing a pair of vertically-spaced inlets each communicating 'with one of said pair of pipes, said casing being supported along one side of said rising column and with the casing portion providing the uppermost of said inlets extending into said column, a casing above the uppermost of said inlets providing a discharge opening directed across said column and along a side of said column opposite said inlets, a pipe communicating with said dis inlets being supported along one side of said rising column, a casing, a second casing above the uppermost of said inlets providing a discharge opening directed along a side'of said column opposite said inlets, a pipe communicating with said discharge opening, means for discharging air through said pipe into said discharge opening to provide a curtain of air on the side of said 001-! umn opposite said inlets, and a recycling conduit connecting said discharge pipe and the suction pipe leading from the uppermost of said inlets.

4. In apparatus for treating a rising column of gas, supporting means, a pair of pipes carried by said supporting means, a casing about the ends of said pipes and providing a pair of verticallyspaced inlets communicating with said pipes, said inlets being supported along one side of said rising column, a casing, a second casing above the uppermost of said inlets providing a discharge opening directed along a side of said column opposite said inlets, a pipe communicating with said discharge opening, means for discharging air through said pipe into said discharge opening to provide a curtain of air on the side of said column opposite said inlets, air-washing means connected to one of said suction pipes for'washing the gas drawn therethrough to clean the same, and a conduit leading said cleaned air from said washing means to said discharge opening;

5. In apparatus for treating a rising column of gas, supporting means, a pair of pipes carried by said supporting means, a casing about the ends of said pipes and providing a pair of verticallyspaced inlets communicating with said pipes, said inlets being supported along one side of said rising column, a casing, a second casing above the uppermost of said inlets providing a discharge opening directed along a side of said column opposite said inlets, a pipe communicating with said discharge opening, means for discharging air through said pipe into said discharge opening to provide a curtain of air on the side of said column opposite said inlets, air-Washing means communicating with the suction pipe leading from the lowermost inlet for washing and cleaning the gas drawn therefrom, and a conduit connecting an outlet of said washing means to said air-discharge pipe to direct cleaned air into said discharge pipe.

CLAUDE B. SCHNEIBLE. ALVIN S. LUNDY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent? UNITED STATES PATENTS 

